Heard it from a Scout: The ultimate summer camping guide
Scouts learn essential outdoor skills and how to prioritize safety in all activities. (Photo by Scouts Canada)
The perfect temperature for summer camping, according to Scouts — Canada’s youngest outdoor experts — is 27 C. So, go check your thermometer. It’s time to answer the call of the wilderness! Scouts learn essential outdoor...
Hiking the big one
Big Trout Bay, Lake Superior, ON (Photo by Costal Productions)
My dental training and career as a research scientist have allowed me to live, work, hike, bike and paddle in fascinating ecosystems around the world, including Asia, New Guinea, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After retirement, I was fortunate...
Zebra and quagga mussels: Tiny but terrifying invaders
Zebra mussels (Photo by Michael Massimi, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program/Bugwood.org)
As motivated and concerned members of the community, there are countless opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint, protect habitat and conserve biodiversity. Invasive species are just one piece of the puzzle, and the good news is that...
Saving the bees: Plants to help our buzzing buddies
American bumble bee (Photo by K.S. Gardener/iNaturalist)
Humans have a very delicate relationship with bees. Despite their importance, many of us fail to understand just how much bees impact our daily lives — and how much we’re putting them at risk. Canada has over 850 native bee species,...
Heard it from a Scout: Light a campfire like a Scout
Toronto Island campfire (Photo by Scouts Canada)
Whether you are going on an easy day hike or a week-long backpacking adventure, being able to build a fire is an important survival skill. While you may plan to bring a lighter or matches, it’s always best to be prepared with fire-starting...
Keep Halifax Wild
Colpitt Lake inside the Halifax Wilderness Park (Photo by Adam Cornick)
The international City Nature Challenge was bigger than ever this year, pitting 159 urban centres in a competition to identify the most diversity of living things, from New York to Hong Kong, Athens to Cape Town. This year was particularly...
Support local biodiversity by avoiding invasive plants in your garden
Winged euonymus (Photo by John Ruter/University of Georgia/Bugwood.org)
With gardening season upon us, the warm weather brings hope that your favourite plot of soil will be better than it was last year. At the Invasive Species Centre, we have one request as you mull over your garden plans for 2019: please avoid the...
Success under pressure: Helping landowners succeed with stewardship in southwestern Ontario
Acadian flycatcher (Photo by Bill Hubick)
The Carolinian ecoregion of Canada makes up one per cent of the country’s total land mass and is limited to southwestern Ontario. Many of the region’s 70 tree species — such as tuliptree, pawpaw and sycamore — are found...
Heard it from a Scout: The pleasures and perils of portaging
Portaging will take your canoe and camping adventures to the next level and help you explore nature’s hidden gems. (Photo by Scouts Canada)
Portaging is like going to the gym; you don’t always want to go, but you feel proud of yourself after working out. Portaging (carrying a boat over land, between bodies of water) is a fun activity that will take your canoe and camping...
Buzzing down the house: An update
Bumble bee (Photo by Amanda Liczner)
This is an update to a post I wrote last year. The data has now been analyzed, and the results are ready for sharing. We commonly hear that bees are in decline and that we need to save them because they are important pollinators of crops and...
